Bexhill Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bexhill Museum

"Encouraging Discovery"
Established	22 May 1914
Location	Egerton Park, Bexhill-on-Sea
Collections	The Sargent Collection; The Costume Collection; The Technology Collection

Bexhill Museum is a fun and interesting place to visit in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. It's an independent museum that first opened its doors way back in 1914. The museum is run as a registered charity, which means it's all about helping the community. It gets support from many dedicated volunteers and a few employees.

Museum's Early Days

Bexhill Museum first opened in 1914. Two important people helped make it happen: Reverend J.C. Thompson and Kate Marsden. Reverend Thompson was the museum's first Honorary Curator until 1924.

Kate Marsden's Role

Kate Marsden was a very adventurous woman. She was one of the first women to become a member of the Royal Geographical Society. This happened after she traveled thousands of miles across Russia to Siberia in 1891. Kate Marsden is often seen as the person who inspired the museum's creation. She organized meetings to get local people excited about the idea. She invited important local figures and successfully asked for items from big companies. These companies included Bryant and May, Frys, and Colmans.

Kate Marsden also gave the museum a collection of sea shells. She encouraged another person, Walter Amsden, to donate a collection of ancient Egyptian items.

The Museum Building

The museum is located in a building that used to be called the Egerton Park Shelter Hall. This building was constructed in 1903 by George Ball. It was originally a small entertainment spot for visitors to the park. The Bexhill Corporation owned the building. They leased it to the museum and also provided a small grant to help out.

Growing the Collections

Henry Sargent started working at Bexhill Museum in 1920. He stayed there until he passed away in 1983. The group that manages the museum, called the Bexhill Museum Association, was started in 1923. The museum began to collect many local archaeological finds. They also gathered a collection of taxidermy, which are preserved animals.

For a while, it was hard to keep the natural history collection safe. The temperature and light levels in the building were difficult to control. Also, the basement sometimes flooded, which wasn't good for the items.

In 1986, the museum buildings were updated and improved. The lighting and heating systems were made much better. New spaces were created for temporary exhibits and for storing items. These new areas were made from what used to be the toilet blocks. Over the next ten years, the museum worked closely with Rother District Council. This partnership led to a curator being assigned to work at the museum.

What You Can See Today

Aerial view of Bexhill Museum from Egerton Park

In 2004, Bexhill Museum joined with the Bexhill Museum of Costume. After this, it became a registered charity, managed by a group of trustees. Today, the museum is mostly run by volunteers. It also has two paid employees and a curator who works for Rother District Council. A famous patron of the museum is Eddie Izzard.

The museum has four main collections that you can see all the time:

• The Sargent Collection: This gallery looks like an Edwardian-era room. It displays sea shells, dinosaur fossils, birds, mammals, insects, and items from Ancient Egypt and Peru. You can also see old stone tools and local archaeological treasures.
• The Costume Collection: Here, you'll find clothes, accessories, and items that show how people lived. These items date from the 17th century all the way up to modern times.
• The Technology Collection: This collection features different vehicles. They represent various time periods and show how technology has changed.
• Bexhill in WWII Gallery: This gallery shows where bombs fell in Bexhill during World War II. It has original items from WWII and a special model railway from Bexhill in 1940.

Gallery

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  First Accession Register of Bexhill Museum by Kate Marsden

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  The museum when it opened, 1914

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  The founders of the museum, 1914

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  The Sargent Gallery

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  The museum maintains its Edwardian heritage

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  The Access Centre provides a place for local research